Car-SUV Crashes Concern Feds

The Daily Auto Insider: Automakers need to speed advanced technologies to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from crashes between cars and SUVs.

Automakers need to speed advanced technologies to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from crashes between cars and SUVs, the Detroit News reported, citing the keynote speech at the Society of Automotive Engineers 2005 World Congress by Dr. Joseph Kanianthra, associate administrator of vehicle research at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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"In my own personal opinion, we are a bit slow on the issue, and we must move ahead if we are going to commit to safety," Kanianthra said.

Addressing engineers who work on car-truck "compatibility," Kanianthra said moves that would reduce the speed at which collisions occur would save more lives than attempts to manage the energy of high-speed accidents.

Kanianthra said new safety equipment and engineering changes could be introduced sooner if government and industry officials cooperated more and there were market-driven initiatives, such as consumer information programs.

Among promising new safety technologies on display at the SAE World Congress, are lane departure warning systems and electronic maps that tell drivers how many vehicles are entering an oncoming intersection, and advanced sensors which will be able to detect when an accident is likely to occur, and apply brakes and take other steps to avoid a collision.

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